The Shining Stone: Memories
by BrightSun03
Summary: (working on the story with bluebellcat) Who am I? What am I? I'm struggling to answer those questions... All I have is my name and a strange stone -indeed strange. Then out of nowhere I meet Clan cats, will I ever be able to regain my memories? Who would have believed that my destiny would take me this far... (rated T because all Warriors story should be like that)
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story a decided to write... Hope you like it!**

**Special thanks to Bluebellcat (we work on the story together) and to EmberFall for proof reading!**

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Chapter 1

Fire. Fire everywhere. I'm surrounded by fire. I run. Suddenly nothing, I've blacked out. Then I wake up on the river shore.

This is my first and only memory; I can't recall anything before that.

_Who am I? What am I?_

These are questions I've been trying to answer since then. Many people would find them strange, but when it comes to me, I'm stranger than everyone. I sigh. Why does life have to be so complicated? I also never had any answer for that question, no one ever will.

I sigh again, and then decide to stop lamenting and start looking for some food. I scan the place from the tree I'm in. I'm in a park in the middle of the town I've been living in since I got amnesia. Maybe I used to live here before, though I still haven't found anyone who recognizes me.

I see an elderly man coming toward the tree I'm in, looking up at me. "Can you climb down?" he asks. "Do you need some help? You are pretty high up, young girl."

"I'll be ok." I answer, climbing down the oak tree easily. I turn toward him as I land. "Thank you for your concern."

"You're welcome. It's getting dark soon, you should head home." he advises.

I smile to reassure him. "I will, I live around here." I lie; I've got no place to call home.

The elderly man smiles back. "Of course," He then searches his pockets and gives me some chocolate biscuits. "Here, since you are such a kind girl."

I gratefully accept them. "Thank you!" I stay still as I watch him walking slowly out of the park. Then I quickly eat the biscuits, leaving no crumb.

After that, I sit down with my back leaning on the tree to admire the sunset and welcome the first stars of the night. It's one of my only hobbies. The hobby of an eight year old girl who lost all her memory. I touch my pendant, the only object I am sure I had before my amnesia. The stone is transparent and shines beautifully, especially in the moonlight.

I decide it's time. I check a couple of times that I'm alone, and when I'm really sure of it, I hold the stone in my hands and murmur: "Let your path be lit by the stone."

The effect is immediate. After just a couple of moments, I've changed forms. I feel a little numb because of the transformation but I know from experience it will pass. I stretch, making the soft fur on my belly almost touch the ground, and then I groom my soft and fluffy brown tabby fur. I am now an eight moon old cat.

This is my problem… I can change from a human to a cat, from a cat to a human. And I don't remember which one of them I am. You can't have a more troublesome memory problem than that.

I put my problems aside, concentrating on finding something edible. I smell the air, hoping to catch the scent of a mouse. I sigh of disappointment as I realize there is no trace of any prey.

Deciding not to abandon the hunt –I was too hungry, even after those biscuits-, I walk out of the park. Maybe there could be something in some garbage somewhere in an alley. I grin at the thought of garbage, it was something that only my cat side could support eating -as long as I could ignore the smells.

I cross the street after I made sure there was no car coming, then I race toward a place where I'm sure to find something. A restaurant's garbage, I could think of nothing better at the moment.

On my way, I smell curious cats' scents, but not like kittypets. The scent is mixed with wilderness. I look around but I see nothing in the dark alley.

Suddenly I hear dogs barking wildly and also cats hissing. I climb the wooden fence next to me to see –as expected- a group of cats cornered by a couple of dogs. There is a big German shepherd dog and a white terrier. To my surprise, the cats hold their grounds.

The golden tabby tom takes a couple of step forwards. He then runs straight towards the dogs, while the other cats climb up the wooden fence to safety. The dogs focus on the tom, who avoids the German shepherd at the last moment, before making the dogs run after him.

I gasp in horror as I see the dogs gaining terrain. Before I know what I'm doing, I jump down the fence and rush over to help the cat. I launch myself on the terrier's back then fall back to avoid being bitten. The small white dog seems upset as he races after me to get revenge. As I run, I cross paths with the German shepherd, making it follow me instead.

After what I think was enough time for the other cat to get to safety, I sprint toward the nearest tree. I climb as quick as I can, feeling the dog jaws closing just a mouse tail away from my tail. Digging my claws into the branch I'm on, I look at the dogs barking excited below me. Suddenly I realize I'm stuck in the lone tree of the garden, the only way is down as the branches are too far from the fence, a jump would probably get me into the mouths of the dogs.

_Great. Just great._ Now I probably have to wait until morning for the owners of the dogs to wake up. I then see the golden tabby tom sitting on one of the posts of the fence, looking up at me. He jumps down and heads towards the dogs.

"Don't need help!" I yowl to him as he approaches.

He ignores me and begins to taunt the dogs, approaching closely then drawing back.

"Don't move from there!" he orders me, before breaking into a run with the dogs following him. I reluctantly do as he told and watch him as he races toward the tree, the dogs after him. He hardly manages to climb up to safety in time.

"Now we are _both_ stuck." I hiss to him.

He sighs as he sits beside me, his amber eyes focused on the dogs. "I hate to break it to you… But we wouldn't be stuck in this tree if you hadn't climbed up in the first place."

I snort, annoyed "I didn't force you to get through all this trouble to follow me. Besides, what were you doing here? Don't you know that humans set their dogs free at night?"

"Humans? Do you mean Twolegs?" he asks.

"Yes. Now we have to wait until morning for the humans- I mean Twolegs- to wake up and chain the dogs again." I look up in the sky, it's not even moon high.

"It's going to be a long night."

"Not if I can help it." he turns to look at me. "How much do you know about fighting?"

"Enough to know that it's a crazy idea to fight our way out."

He smirks. "Well, leave it to me then. You just race as quickly as you can for safety, but please not in another tree."

"You'll be shredded to pieces!" I yowl after him, as he launches himself on the German shepherd below.

I can't let him fight them all by himself so I drop on the white terrier,

digging my claws in its back. The dog tries to shake me off but I hang on.  
Suddenly a silver and white tabby she-cat appears and slashes the dog's muzzle. I leave a couple of scratches on its back before jumping to her side to help her.

"Don't need your help!" she snaps. "Go to safety!"

I want to argue, but I do as she told me and make a run for it. When I've climbed up on the fence, I turn around to see how the other cats are managing.

Much to my surprise, they seem ok. The she-cat who had snapped at me is fighting the white terrier by herself without a problem, she would probably leave some scars. The golden tom is clinging on the German shepherd pelt with two other cats were helping him. One is a reddish brown tabby tom who is launching himself on the dog's muzzle while a ginger she-cat is slipping under it to scratch his belly.

I must say I'm really impressed, these cats really know what they are doing. I watch in amusement as the dogs flee with their tail between their legs.

"Are you ok?" I ask, padding over to them. "You were awesome! I never thought cats could fight dogs like that!"

"It's you." The golden tabby tom mewed. "Didn't you flee?"

"Me? Flee? I'm not that type of cat. In fact, you ordered me to run to safety." I point out. "But what were you doing here? I mean… Usually every cat knows not to go into gardens at night because of the dogs roaming free."

"Well sorry for not knowing." muttered the other tom, the reddish tabby one.

"You should go home." advised the she-cat who had snapped at me.

I sigh. "Fine! You don't want me to pester you! Goodnight then! Hope you won't run into any more trouble!" I lash my tail before padding away. _And don't be so quick to think that I have a place to call home!_ I add to myself annoyed. I wish I had my memories, I hate it. Maybe there is someone waiting 'home' for me to return.

"Wait!" called one of the cats. I turn around to see that it was the ginger she-cat who had spoken. She seems to be the youngest of the group, around one year old. "She could help us, don't you think?" she asks the other cats. They look at each other, wondering if it was a good choice.

"Why not," mewed finally the golden tabby tom. "If she agrees."

"Help you with what?" I ask, curious.

"We need to get some herb called catmint, and then get out of this Twoleg place." he explains.

I stifle a laugh. "In other words you are lost."

"It's another way to put it."

"I'll help you," I decide. After all, it's not like I have something to do. My stomach then makes itself known. "After I eat something, though."

"Thank you." he mews gratefully. "Do you know some place where we can also eat?"

"I was on my way there before I heard the dogs. Follow me." I lead the way to the restaurant's garbage, the four cats following.

"What's this place? It stinks!" comments the reddish tom.

"It may stink, but at least you can find something edible in the middle of the night. Twolegs as you call them have a habit of throwing good food." I sniff around and find a half-eaten roast chicken. "See?"

We find other bits of chicken –the restaurant is very famous for delicious roast chicken.

"Is this meat burnt?" asks the ginger she-cat, sniffing some.

"Twolegs are crazy." adds the reddish tom.

We walk away to escape from the horrid smell and settle down to eat. I quickly dig into my part, though I see the others taking some bites reluctantly.  
"It's not that bad!" I encourage them.

"It's delicious!" mews the ginger she-cat after taking her fist bite. "I never thought it would taste so good!"

We finish our meal in silence.

"So who are you?" I ask as I realize I don't even know their names.

"My name is Cherrypaw!" announces the ginger she-cat.

"I'm Foxleap." says the reddish brown tom.

"Ivypool is my name." murmurs the silver and white tabby she-cat.

"And I am Lionblaze." mews the golden tabby tom, who seemed to be in charge of the group.

"Those are strange names…" I comment. "So where do you come from? You don't seem to be from around here." Or you would have known to stay away from gardens at night! I add to myself.

It is Lionblaze who answers: "From downstream, we live by a lake. What about you?"

I look down at my paws, not sure how much I should tell them. "My name is Heather, and I live around here."

"Are you a kittypet?" asks Cherrypaw.

"No." I answer sharply. _I don't know_ is the true answer.

Cherrypaw flinched. "I didn't mean to annoy you, I was just wondering because of the collar around your neck."

She meant the pendant. The stone is hanging on a thin but solid metal chain. I always have it, even after I transform into a cat –or else I'm not able to change forms.

"Sorry." I mutter. "So why are you here?" I ask instead, changing the subject.

The four cats suddenly look uneasy at each other. "Our Clanmates are sick." explains Ivypool. "The only cure is an herb called catmint. We came here because we hope we can find some."

"I know a dozen of places where it grows!" I mew. They brighten up a little bit as they hear this.

"Let's rest for now, we'll collect the herbs in the morning." announces Lionblaze.

He doesn't need to tell me to sleep twice, I'm exhausted. I hardly hear Ivypool saying: "I'll take the first watch." before falling asleep.

_Fire. Fire everywhere. I'm surrounded by fire. I run. I'm blinded by the smoke, my throat stings because of it._

I wake up abruptly, shaking violently. I breathe deeply to calm me down. I had my restless dreams again, dreams about the only memory that I have. I look around and see that everyone is still sleeping. Then I realize that Lionblaze is up keeping watch, he is now watching me with concerned amber eyes.

"Are you ok, Heather?" he asks me, whispering so he would not disturb the others.

"Bad dreams." is all I answer.

Dawn is approaching so I decide to already groom myself as my fur is a mess. I have some dirt on my chest that I can't wash off properly because of my pendant so I take it off –not without some trouble, it's more easy to do it as a human- and put it beside me. I finish my grooming quickly but as I want to put my pendant back, a magpie dives on it and flies away with it in its beak.

"No!" I yowl, probably waking up the entire neighborhood. I watch helpless as it carries my pendant away, the item I treasure even more than my life. "Give it back!"

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**So... What are your impressions? REVIEW!**

**Oh and: If you want that a cat of the Clans dies... Just PM or review. I'm planning to kill some/many (idk yet) cats because the Clans have grown bigs!**

**Another thing: the story takes place in 'another' world IN the warriors series where the warriors series do not exist! (so don't wonder why Heather does not know about Lionblaze&cie)**

**~BrightSun~ and ~Bluebellcat~  
(feel free to chack our other stories! and REVIEW!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Give it back!" I yowl again.

I run after the magpie, but Lionblaze blocks my path.

"Let me pass!" I mew desperately, crooking my neck to see where the magpie is heading.

"Calm down first." he orders me.

Ignoring his order, I storm pass him. Too late, the magpie is out of my sight. I run as fast I as can in the direction it flew away, behind the house. I climb up the fence, jump down and race all the way to the other side of the property. Much to my dismay, there is no sign of any magpie.

"Oh please no… this can't be happening!" I wail desperately.

I sit down and wail like a kit who lost her mother. If I was human, I would probably cry until I have no tears left. The stone is my only link to my past! Why did I have to lose it? What if I was human? I'm now stuck as a cat! I can never turn back! But what if I am a cat? Then great I won't need the stone to transform again.. but I don't know! I can't recall! I hardly hear the other arriving.

"Heather… Calm down!" orders Lionblaze again, without any success.

Cherrypaw glares at the golden tabby tom then pads toward me to brush her tail on my flank. "Don't worry, it will be alright." she mews in soothing voice.

"It won't!" I mew. "It won't!"

"It was just a collar!" points out Ivypool with a twitch of her ears, also earning a glare from Cherrypaw.

"It's not _just_ a collar!" I shoot back at her with a black look.

Cherrypaw begins licking me with gentle strokes. "Hush now!" I calm myself down, burying my muzzle in the she-cat's ginger fur, nearly falling asleep. I realize how exhausted I am.

"Just like a kit." observes Lionblaze, amusement betraying in his tone.

"Why is that collar so important to you?" asks Foxleap hesitantly.

I raise my head to answer him. "It's…" I'm not sure how much I should tell them. "It's the only link I have from my past."

Cherrypaw tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"I have no memories before last moon."

They look at each other, trying to realize what I've just said.

I decide to waste no more time so I jump to my paws announcing: "I've got to find it!"

"You are really going to look for it?" prompts Lionblaze.

"Of course!" I raise my chin, determined.

"It could be anywhere, you know? It's hopeless!"comments Foxleap.

I shrug. "Of course I know! But I won't give up! I _have_ to find it!" I pad away, in direction of the fence. "But you don't have to help me if you don't want to."

Ivypool mews after me in an accusing tone. "Of course we won't help you! We have to get the herbs for our dying Clanmates!"

I stop remembering that their friends are sick and waiting for the herbs which would cure them. I had promised I'd help them, but what about my pendant?

"There are many cats who would be willing to help you around here!" I announce, climbing on top of the fence. Before jumping down, I look one last time at them: they have angry eyes as they glare at me. _I'm so sorry _I tell them silently.

I search until sunhigh for the stone. Unfortunately, there's no trace of it, nor the magpie. Sighing, I lay down under bush in a lone alley. I feel an emptiness inside of me, I think it's mostly because of the stone but deep down I know it's because I have abandoned them in the middle of the city, them and their sick friends who live beside the lake they mentioned.

"Heather?"

I raise my head to see a beautiful calico she-cat.

"Oh, hi Mulan." I mew. She is a friend I made as a cat.

"You seem so down…" she approach to have a better look at my neck. "So it is missing."

"Yeah, thanks to a magpie."

"Then brighten a bit!" she mews. "You remember about the magpie nest in my garden I told you about? Those stupid birds keep stealing my housefolks jewelry."

I jump to my paws. "Don't tell me…"

She nods. "I saw one of them carrying a pendant which looked like yours this morning."

"Then let's go!"

We quickly arrive as Mulan is living nearby. She points her tail toward a maple tree in the middle of the garden. "The nest is over there, though it seems the magpie are not home for the moment."

"Wait here!" I tell her. "I'll go."

I carefully climb the tree, digging my claws in the bark and dragging myself up. _They just had to make their nest on one of the highest branch_ I comment to myself. I slowly advance forward on the branch to the empty nest where I find many shining things –one of them being my pendant. I grab it with my jaws and make my way down.

"I was right! It really was yours!" mews Mulan as I touch the ground.

I put the pendant on the ground with a paw on it to be sure I won't lose it again. "Thank you Mulan! I'll be forever in your dept!"

"Don't mention it, it was sheer luck that the magpie had their nest here." purrs the calico she-cat.

I manage to pass my head through the collar after some difficulties –I am growing so it is becoming hard to do that.

"I'll go now!" I announce to her.

"See you soon!" she mews after me as I leave the garden.

I wander around as I wonder what I should do. Sighing, I finally take my decision, a decision I knew I was going to make all along. I now have to find them, those four cats. And they could be anywhere. I take the direction of the river. On the way, I see a fat black and white tom.

"Hi Joker!" I greet him.

"Look who is here." he grins. "The little Heather. What brings you here?"

"Have you seen four travelling cats?" I ask.

He looks at me lazily. "Why should I answer?"

"Just answer, or I'll tell Willy you stole his catnip. Besides, you are still in my dept." I smirk, recalling how I helped him to climb down the tree where he had been stuck for hours.

"Alright I'll tell you." he looks a little bit embarrassed. "I saw those arrogant cats earlier, with Snowdrop. They stole the catmint from my garden! How dare they stop on my territory!" he hisses the last words.

"And what a great territory you have! Your garden is very lovely." I comment sarcastically. "Anyway, what direction did they take?"

He shows me reluctantly with his tail. The direction of the river, as I suspected. Snowdrop had probably showed them the way; I knew they would find someone willing to help them.

I mumble a thanks, then race toward the river. After I turn around a corner of an alley, I finally see them with Snowdrop and immediately realize they are in trouble –again. Three boys around my age have cornered them and are hurling stones at them. The youngest throws one toward Cherrypaw but Foxleap pushed her out of the way, taking the hit instead. _How dare they! _I say to myself, turning back around the corner to find a place to hide. The only way I can help them is to transform into my human form to stop those stupid boys.

I hide behind a bush then I press the stone on my chest with my muzzle, murmuring: "Let your path be lit by the stone."

The stone begins to shine but becomes dull again as the transformation finishes. I get up, determination swelling up inside me. Though before going, I put the stone in my pocket to be sure Lionblaze and the others won't recognize it.

"Stop hurting them!" I tell the boys, putting myself between them and the cats.

They laugh at me. "And who is going to stop us? You?" says one of the boys, then they all burst into laughter again.

"I said, stop hurting these kitties!" I look stubbornly at them, clearly showing I have no intentions to move out of the way. I have to find a way to draw the boys attention away from them so they can escape. I quickly try to think of something.

"And how are you going to stop us?" asks menacingly the same boy who had spoken before.

I take stones in my hands and throw them at the boys. "Doing this!" Then I run as fast as I can, the angry boys following me. _They are catching up!_ I realize. I try my best to run even faster, thinking of what they will do to get their revenge on me.

I stumble. _Stupid stone!_ I tell myself, falling on the ground. Before I can even get up, the boys have surrounded me. I begin crying, hurting from my fall and afraid of them.

"Payback time!" they announce smirking, making me cry even harder.

I then hear a voice behind me. "Jonathan, what is going on here?" An adult voice, I'm saved.

I'm even more pleased as I see one of the boys turning pale. "Ehm… Hi mum!"

I nearly burst out of laughter as the two other boys run away, leaving Jonathan to face his angry mother.

"Jonathan, I said: What is going on here? Hurting this poor girl! I'll make sure your dad gives you a harsh punishment!"

"But she threw stones at us!"

Time to defend myself. "I did not! He was throwing stones at these poor kitties with the other boys and I tried to stop them!"

"Is it true?" she asks angrily.

Jonathan holds his head down. "It is… But-"

"No but!" his mother cuts him off. "You shouldn't have been doing that in the first place! Hurting innocent animals, what were you thinking?" She then helps me get up. "I'm sorry for his bad behavior, please forgive his manners."

"It's alright." I say, drying my tears. Now I need to slip away. "What time is it?"

"About three o'clock my dear." she answers.

"Oh, I'm late home! Bye!" Then I leave, smirking proudly at Jonathan.

After I'm out of their sight, I find the nearest place to hide. Behind some bushes, I take the pendant out of my pocket and put it around my neck. I sigh, glad I still have it. I must say I can't bear the thought of losing it again. I say the words, holding the stone in my hands.

I'm a cat again. I feel exhausted after two transformations in the same hour, and also numb. I groom my brown tabby fur until I feel better then go search for Lionblaze and the others.

I find them by the river shore, though Snowdrop is nowhere to be seen. She probably already left. I approach them warily, afraid of their reaction. I had abandoned them, what do they think now of me?

"Heather?" mews Cherrypaw surprised as she sees me, after putting down the catmint she was holding.

"Yeah it's me." I hold my head down, ashamed.

"You found your collar!" she observes, sounding happy for me.

"I did so I thought I'd see if you are alright."

"We are! But our Clanmates are not. We have to get these herbs back now, so we have no time for chatting." says Ivypool.

"I'm sorry…" I look to my paws.

Cherrypaw comes closer to me. "Don't worry, we are not mad at you. Ivypool is on edge because her sister is very sick, so are many friends of ours."

"I won't waste any of your precious time then." I mew. "I will pray you will make it back in time!"

They nod and leave, walking downstream. I wave goodbye with my tail. Then I stay there until the sun sets, watching the path they had taken. Why? I have this strange feeling, a voice –maybe instinct- telling me I should follow them. I can't bring myself to go back to the city, nor follow them. I watch the first stars appearing, hoping they would maybe give me an answer. It may be my imagination but they seem to shine more brightly above the path those four cats had taken.

I shake my head as I take my decision. I get to my paws and go back to the city. Deep inside me I know I've made the wrong choice, but I ignore it.


End file.
